Sewing-machine



-( d l.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1-.

W. J. HATGHER.

SEWING MACHINE.

Patented Dec. 5, 1882.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

w. J. HATGHER.

SEWING MACHINE. I

Patented Deo. 6, 1882.

1 E. \|llllmlllllllllllllulr Rs PIMQUklyogP-lplwr. Waihingiom D. Q

UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WASHINGTON J. HATGHER, OF GLINTONVILLE, ALABAMA.

SEWING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 268,402, dated December 5, 1882.

Application filed October 11, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WASHINGTON J. HATCH- ER, of Glintonville, in the county of Coffee and State of Alabama, have invented certain Improvements in Sewing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a machine particu larly designed for operation upon large fabrics to facilitate the passage of the same in all directions over and around the table; and it consists in numerous details of construction, which will be hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective view of my improved machine; Fig. 2, a vertical section through the table from front to rear, by the side of the shuttle-carrier; Fig. 3, a similar section, taken between the shuttle-carrier and the feed-bar; Fig. 4, a view illustrating the construction and operation of the stitch-regulator; Fig. 5, a view illustrating the band-wheel clutch; Fig. 6, a face view of the presser-foot lever 5 Fig. 7, a view showing the tension device employed in the shuttle, and Fig. 8 is a view of the upper tension device.

I arrange the mechanism to operate in a fixed position, an arm extending upward in rear of and overhanging the table to sustain the needle-bar and parts directly connected therewith, while the remaining mechanism is placed beneath the table. By this arrangement the table is left entirely clear and the work is free to fall down on any or all sides of the same.

Referring now to the drawings, A represents the bed or table of the machine, supported upon a suitable frame, B, to the rear side of which latter is secured, at a convenient distance from the table, an upright standard, 0, the upper end of which extends forward to a point over the center of the table and is there furnished with a head, in which are mounted the needle-bar D and the presser-foot stem E. Beneath the table A, preferably near the top of the frame and at the right-hand side, is located the main driving-wheel, secured upon a short horizontal shaft, to the crank of which is attached a pitman connecting it with a treadle in the usual manner.

At the lower side of the frame, in line with the rear side of the table or nearly so, is a shaft, F, one end of which isjournaled in the frame, while near its opposite end it is carried in a support, G. The shaft F has its innerend fashioned into or furnished with a crank, a, which gives motion to the various parts of the sewing mechanism and is provided with a loose band-wheel, H, which is bolted to the main driving-wheel, as shown.

In order that the shaft F and its crank a may not be turned backward, thereby endangering the breaking of the thread or injury of the mechanism, the band-wheel H is furnished with a tongue, b, seated in a recess in the face of the wheel, as shown in Fig. 5, pivoted at one end and urged outward at the opposite end by a spring placed beneath it in such manner that as the wheel is turned forward the square end of the tongue I) is caused to come squarely against one of a series of studs or arms, 0, projecting from a hub secured to the shaft F, and cause said shaft to turn with the wheel. When, however, the wheel is turned in the reverse direction, either-accidentally or for the purpose of winding bobbins, the pivoted end of the tongue will ride under the pins or studs 0, and thus the wheel'will be permitted to rotate without affecting the shaft. A nut and suitable locking device will be placed at the outer side of the wheel H, to keep it in proper position with relation to the stud or pin.

As above stated, the needle-bar is mounted in a head of usual form overt-he center of the table, said head being, in the present instance, however, at right angles to the position which it occupies in other machines. The usual vertical reciprocation of the needle-bar D is effected by means of two horizontal levers, I J, connected at their rear ends by a rod or pitman, K, pivoted each at or near the middle, and connecting the former with the needle-bar and the latter with crank a of shaft F, the end of lever J being formed with a curved or semicircular slot, d, in which the crank stem or spindle a plays. This form of slot is important in that it causes the needle to remain at rest, or practically so, while the shuttle passes through the loop. The shuttle-carrier L likewise receives motion from the crank a-,'an upright lever, M, pivoted at or about the middle to arear longitudinal brace of the frame B, being connected at its upper end with said carrier by a pitman, N, and slotted at its lower end to receive the spindleor pin ofcrank a for this purpose. The

particular form of the shuttle-carrier and the manner of mounting the same may be varied as desired.

The cloth-feeding mechanism consists, as will be seen by referring to Fig. 3, of an upper slide, 0, and a lower slide, P, the former being slotted and sustained upon a cylindrical horizontal pin, 6, preferably furnished with an anti-friction roller at the rear end, and furnished' at the forward end with a transverse pin,f, passing through an inclined slot, 9, in a stud, it, formed upon the lower slide, P. From this it will be seen that as the lower slide, P, moves longitudinally back and forth in a horizontal plane the following 'effect will be produced: First, the lower slide moving back, the inclined slot g causes the pin f to rise and carry with it the forward end of the upper slide, 0, until the toothed dog 1' thereon projects slightly above the face of the table, by which time the end of the slot comes in contact with the pin and moves the slide 0 bodily backward. As the backward movement ceases and the forward movement begins, the lower slide again moves independently of the upper until the rear and lower end of slot 9 comes in contact with pinf, the dog 1' gradually being drawn below the table by the slot, when the two slides again move together. In this way a perfect four-motion feed is produced.

In order to impart motion to the feeding device the forward end of slide P is connected by a link,j, to the depending arm 7c of a rocking bar, Q, or to a block carried thereby, as

will be presently described, the arm 76 being also connected by a pitman, R, to the upper end of a short lever, S, pivoted at the rear side of the frame and vibrated by the upright lever M, a pin or stud, Z, being extended from the side of the lever S into a slot, m, in lever M for this purpose. It will thus be seen that the needle-bar, shuttle-carrier, and feed-slide are all operated by the crank a.

Forthe regulation ofthe stitch, I provide the device represented in Fig. 4, in which represents the depending arm of the rocking bar Q, provided at one end with a head and threaded to enter said bar, and n represents a sleeve turning freely upon the arm or stem 70, which latter is of cylindrical form. The sleeve 02 is threaded on its exterior, and passes through a correspondingly-threaded block or nut, 0, to which the linkj connects, as above mentioned. By turning the sleeve 1%, the lower end of which is enlarged and milled for this purpose, the block 0 will be raised or lowered and moved nearer to or farther from the center of bar Q, thereby changing the throw of the feed-slide, and consequently the length of the stitch.

The thread take-up arm or check consists simply of a light lever pivoted at its rear end within the overhanging arm and extending outward through the head, and vibrated by a pin or stud, which projects from the side of the needle-bar into a slot in the take-up lever, as shown. The necessary tension is produced upon the upper thread by means of an elliptical spring, T, the two ends of which are bent around to one side, where they approach closely to one another. One end of the spring is riveted or otherwise secured to the side of the overhanging arm, and a screw-stem passes through the central portion of the spring and into the side of said arm. By turning the screw-stem the free end of the spring may be caused to bear with greater or less force against the side of the arm, between which and the spring the thread passes. This will be more clearly understood by referring to Fig. 8, in which T represents the spring and U the adjusting-screw.

The lower thread, which is drawn from the shuttle-bobbin, is kept under tension, as desired, by being passed between the wall of the shuttle V and one arm of a U-shaped spring, 19, seated in the forward end of the shuttle, and compressed to the required degree by an adjusting-screw, r, passing through the wall of the shuttle and bearing against the opposite end of said spring, as shown in Fig. 7.

The presser-foot is mounted or carried upon the lower end of a vertical stem, E, urged downward by a spiral spring, as usual, and furnished with an elevating elbow-lever, W, shouldered, as shown at s, to cause the stem to become locked when raised to its highest point, the shoulder riding under its bearing on the stem and necessitating a slight application of force to remove it.

A spool-spindle will be located at a suitable point on the overhanging arm, and such other minor parts and attachments as may be necessary will be applied in any well-known manner, and will be of any convenient form commonly in use.

The standard 0 will be preferably cast hollow or open on therear side,and the overhanging arm will likewise be made hollow, in order that the parts may be placed within and protected by them. A shield or guard of sheet metal or other suitable material willbe extended from the rear side of the table downward to and over the lever J and upward in front of the standard 0 to prevent the work from fallingthereon. Thetreadleispreferably dropped below the rod or brace which ties the frame together instead of being placed thereon, as usual.

The shaft F will be formed with a collar or enlargement to travel in one of its boxes or hearings to prevent end play, and the cap of said box will be capable of being tightened to compensate for wear.' A bobbin-winder will also be attached to the frame or table in convenient position to be swung into contact with the main driving-wheel, which in winding will be turned backward.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. The combination of the table A with the cloth-feeding device, an overhanging arm, 0, sustained independently of and at a distance from the table, the needle and presserfoot mounted in said arm, the treadle mounted be- IIO neath the table, the crank-shaft E, connected with and driven from the treadle, the vertical lever M, communicating with the feed device, and the horizontal lever J, lying adjacent to the floor and communicating through the overhanging arm with the needle-operating devices.

2. The combination of the cloth-supporting table, provided with the feed mechanism, the independently-supported overhanging arm located at a distance from the table and having a needle-bar mounted therein, the treadle, the pitman and wheel connected therewith, the shaft F, belted to said wheel and provided with crank a, the vertical feed-operating lever M, the horizontal needle-operating lever J, and the lever K, extending vertically within the overhanging standard to operate the needle.

3. In combination with the crank a and lever M, the short lever S, connected with the 20 feed-slide and actuated by the lever M in the manner shown and described.

4. The herein-described feeding device, consisting of the slide P, provided with the lug h,

having an inclined slot, the slide 0, provided 25 with the dog i, and connected to slide 1? by a pin passing transversely through said inclined slot, and means, substantially such as described, for moving the slideP longitudinally.

5. The combination of the bar 0, the reciproo 

